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Barbara Mills KC has promised to raise the profile of the family Bar and help address violence against women and girls in her inaugural speech as chair of the Bar Council of England and Wales.
Speaking at Inner Temple Hall on Wednesday night, Mills also signalled a renewed focus on wellbeing within the Bar and the need for barristers to make further strides on diversity, equality and inclusion, among other themes, including better resources for the justice system.
Mills, the co-head of family law set 4 Paper Buildings, is the first black woman to hold the office of chair, leading an all-female team of officeholders given both the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice are also women.
In addition to raising the profile of the family Bar, Mills called for more significant investment in family justice, noting the courts heard “cases dealing with all aspects of human existence”, adding they were “the courts of life itself, touching us all and, as such, they have work to do for society”.
Noting that, at times, neither party was represented in as many as 40% of family dispute cases, she said lack of access to legal aid resulted in a dysfunctional justice system, noting “cost, delay, injustice, fear, uncertainty and lives put on hold are the bitter fruits of under-investment”.
Welcoming investment in criminal, immigration and housing law, she urged greater investment in family justice, saying such investment would help tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).
She called on the government to “fund the family courts and end the horrific roll call of violence against women”, echoing similar calls at the IBA conference in Mexico City, led by fellow barrister Baroness Helena Kennedy KC.
Mills noted the 2021 Femicide Census found 147 women were killed, with 78 by partners, often while trying to leave the relationship. Additionally, at least 40% of private children’s cases in family courts involved alleged domestic abuse.
Urging the government to clarify the definition of VAWG to encompass “all forms of violence and harmful practices specifically aimed at women and girls”, she stressed VAWG was preventable, provided policies incorporated prevention and early intervention strategies. It also needs to be supported by “effective and sustained investment”, with Mills outlining a detailed package of measures to address the issue.
On wellbeing, she noted that the “work that we do… is intense and highly pressured” and that vicarious trauma was an issue experienced by barristers, which she aimed to tackle by highlighting wellbeing, coaching and supervision into regular practice.
“What I would like to see in the profession is wellbeing losing its stigma as a sign of weakness and being elevated to the same non-negotiable level as having an accountant or having insurance,” she said.
She added: “There is considerable interest in proactive coaching across the Bar. The benefits can be transformative. My intention is not to reinvent the wheel but to build on the fantastic work that the Bar has done about wellbeing over the last 10 years,” noting 8 New Square’s Charlotte May KC will chair a working group to explore options.
On diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), Mills recognised the link between wellbeing and inclusion and promised to focus on “the 3 As – greater awareness, acceptance and action”.
Addressing an issue on which the Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board had differing views over potential regulatory reforms last year, she offered to work across the profession on DEI issues, saying all barristers should be treated fairly, regardless of their background and protected characteristics.
She said: “So here is my invitation to all who disagree with me on [DEI]. If you are serious and ready to bridge the gap between us and prepared to have respectful dialogue backed by evidence, then my virtual and real doors are open. Please don’t sit behind your screen, only put your thoughts on social media. This is too nuanced and important. Come and talk to me.”
Mills also directly addressed bullying and harassment: “Talking alone is not enough. The actions I will take will focus on what we know from the Wellbeing report about bullying and harassment, the Young Bar and the earnings disparity and finally, the employed Bar.”
Her speech also focused on periodic themes such as those expressed by her predecessor, Keating Chambers’ Samuel Townend KC and 4 Pump Court’s Nick Vineall KC, on urgent investment in the criminal justice system while welcoming both the Gauke review of sentencing and the Leveson review of criminal justice, and the importance of pro bono.
Mills is the first specialist family barrister to chair the Bar since Sir Robert Johnson in 1988; she was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards in March 2024.
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